Islamabad: Development work finally starts in I-11

[Naveed Yaseen]

Mobarik A. Virk
Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi Friday reviewed the pace of development work in Sector I-11 which finally started with the construction of northern and western service roads after remaining stalled for almost 30 years.

CDA’s Member Engineering Tahir Shamshad while briefing the chairman and other senior officials said that the work on construction of northern and western service roads is progressing well.

He said that as some pockets of the sector were still under adverse possession as well as there were structures vacated by Afghan refugees who left for their homes that are yet to be demolished, so the concerned departments are engaged in resolving these issues. “As soon as these matters are settled, the physical development work of the sector would also be launched very soon,” the member engineering told ‘The News’.

The compensation issue with the local inhabitants of the sector was announced back in 1969 and it was officially thrown open for allotment of plots to public back in 1979. Around 800 employees of the CDA were also allotted plots in the sector.

However, the CDA could not take over physical possession of the land from the local inhabitants mostly Afghan nationals who came to Pakistan turning it the biggest shanty settlement of the federal capital.

A large number of Afghan refugees were compelled to leave the place, popularly known as ‘Afghan Basti’ spread over a vast area of this sector after the government in collaboration with the UNHCR launched their repatriation following fall of Taliban government in Afghanistan.

The CDA chairman visited the sector following settlement of long-standing disputes with the local inhabitants in a recent meeting. These disputes and complications in taking over physical possession of the acquired land in the sector cropped up over the decades because of lack of interest on part of the authority.

It is the second sector where the infrastructure development work was stalled for a long time. This has kindled a ray of hope in the hearts of the people who have been allotted plots in this sectors almost over three decades ago.

The chairman was accompanied by member (engineering) member (estate), member (planning & design) and other officers. He asked the concerned departments to gear up pace of ongoing development work and complete it as soon as possible.

“We are striving to resume the development work in the stalled sectors to mitigate the sufferings of the people who were allotted plots a long time ago.

We want to develop these sectors and hand over the possession of plots to those who were allotted these a long time ago.

This would eventually help meet the growing needs of residential units in the federal capital,” Chairman Elahi said after a briefing on development work in the sector given by Member (Engineering) Engrineer Tahir Shamshad on the site.

He also said that timelines would be fixed for the completion of development work in the sector, which would be closely monitored from time to time to ensure smooth progress and resolution of any hiccups that may spring up in the process.

He also issued orders to the Enforcement Directorate to demolish the build-up structures, which had already been vacated by the dwellers, to avoid further encroachments. He said that the CDA has conducted successful dialogue with the illegal residents of Afghan ‘katchi abadis’ in Sector I-11 and it would be vacated very soon.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=189831